Elizabeth's Story
by Anjirika
Summary: Based on spoilers for the S5 episode 'Ghost in the Machine' -Summary: A return of a long lost friend, some realizations about an enemy and the greatest reunion in the history of two galaxies- Please Read and Review!
1. Elizabeth's Story 1

A/N- So, I just heard the rumours for 'Ghost in the Machine' and I want this to happen.

Elizabeth's Story 

Things were going wrong- as always. A section of the city had locked itself off- more specifically the lab in which McKay created Fran in had been locked off. "So what does this mean?" asked Richard Woolsey the new leader of Atlantis anxiously. "McKay?"

"I don't know what it means." Rodney answered sharply as he tried to get the door open. "It could be anything from a glitch caused by Zelenka or…"

"Or what?" asked Woolsey not liking how Rodney trailed off. 

"Or it could mean that the replicators 'ave somehow replicated." Radek answered looking less then pleased at Rodney. 

Rodney of course caught that look. "Oh okay this is so not my fault-"

"Well if you hadn't created her in the first place-"

"It was the only plan that I could think of at the time," protested Rodney angrily. "And may I say that my plan probably saved two galaxies from utter destruction and-"

"And no one is blaming you McKay," assured John as he pushed through the working scientists with Lorne and a few marines carrying packets of C-4. 

"Wh-what are you doing?" asked Woolsey. 

Rodney rolled his eyes. "What do you think that he's doing? He's going to blow up the door…" he paused and turned to John. "You're going to blow up the door."

"Yes Rodney," stated John with a nod as Lorne and the other two marines placed C-4 on the door. "Do you have a better plan to get through the door?"

"Well uh, Zelenka was just suggesting that we uh-"

"Rodney?" asked John knowing full well that Rodney had no plans up his sleeve. 

Rodney sighed and stepped back. "Go ahead," he stated sarcastically with a roll of his eyes as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Blow it up."

"Wait a minute," interrupted Woolsey as he was gently guided away from the door by the two marines. "Is this a good idea?"

"Haven't you learned anything by now Woolsey?" John asked with the barest traces of respect in his voice. "Most of what we do around here isn't a good idea but we do it anyway."

And with that John joined the two marines, Lorne, Rodney, Zelenka and Woolsey around the corner. "Fire in the whole." He stated and that was followed by a large explosion. Woolsey cowered like the coward that he was and when he opened his eyes and un-covered his head he saw that John, Lorne and the marines were already leading Rodney and Zelenka back to the lab. 

"So what do you think caused this?" John asked as he and Rodney walked through the smoke that was caused by the resulting explosion. 

"I have no idea," answered Rodney honestly and simply which was unusual for him. "I mean, there was nothing wrong last night but all of a sudden there was-hey!" Rodney exclaimed as he ran into John who was just standing still as a statue in the doorway to the lab. "What the-"

"Hello Rodney," stated a voice causing Rodney to peer around the unmoving shoulders of John into the lab beyond. "It's good to see you both again."

—sparky—

John could hardly believe his eyes, there before him was Elizabeth—his Elizabeth—but that seemed impossible to him because the organic replicator version of her had told him that the real Elizabeth was dead. And yet- the one standing before him was so real…too real. 

"Hello Rodney," she stated in the same tone that Elizabeth used to address her long time friend. Her eyes then travelled to John and she smiled warmly in the same way that Elizabeth always smiled. "It's good to see you both again."

"But-" Rodney stuttered as he pushed past John into the room. "-you're-?"

"Dead?" asked Elizabeth with a smile, seeing out of the corner of her eyes and the marines and Woolsey stopped dead in their tracks. "That's what I wanted you to think, I needed to be free to complete my work."

"Your work?" asked Rodney his eyes wide. "What work? And are you saying that you're the real Elizabeth? Our Elizabeth? Cause that's impossible, she was half-replicator and killed by Oberoth, the organic replicator version told us so and…" Rodney shook his head. "You can't be here."

Elizabeth said nothing but turned to John. He had, slowly over the course of Rodney's rambling come to stand mere inches from her. She looked him in the eye and nodded her head ever so slightly with a certain look in her eye. It was subtle and to the rest of the people who had filled into the lab it would have meant absolutely nothing. But to one man- to John it held a wealth of information that couldn't be faked. 

"Is it you?" he asked softly causing Rodney's startled eyes to go to him. "Elizabeth?" he asked tentatively as he reached out to caress her face. "Is it you?" 

Elizabeth, who had remained almost stoic till then nodded and threw her arms around John. "Yes," she whispered joyfully as John threw his arms around her. It was like they were back during the siege of Atlantis all over again and he had just arrived home alive and well. Only this time, the embrace was not an awkward one. This time it was full of passion and longing and joy. "It's me…" she stated finally pulling away even though she didn't want to. "…and do I have I story to tell you all."

—sparky—

Woolsey was fuming. Sitting in the briefing room he could barely contain his displeasure. He had wanted to detain Elizabeth as a possible threat but John, as the military commander had said that this was a military situation and as such he was in charge. When Woolsey had protested John had called his bluff. _Go tell the IOA_ he said angrily in his office. The office that used to belong to Samantha Carter and his dear Elizabeth before that; _Go run to them and have me replaced Woolsey; because there is no way that I'm going to lock Elizabeth up. It's her and whether you want to believe that or not, it's true. I know it and I think down there you know it. You know it_, John had continued furiously. _You know it and you're afraid of it because for the first time in your life you're making life and death decisions and you are loving the power trip. You're afraid that if by some chance this is the real Elizabeth that she'll be reinstated as the head of Atlantis and you'll be regulated back to the insignificant, paper-pushing, pathetic- _

_I'm warning you now Sheppard,_ Woolsey had interrupted with a tone in his voice that had made John stop for a second. _I have tolerated your boarderline insubordination because I'm not a military commander, but one more iota of disrespect and I'll-_

_You'll what?_ John has asked daringly. _Kick me out and ruin this galaxy like you did in the other timeline?_

_The future's not predetermined_ argued Woolsey

John had shaken his head. _We've just put off the inevitable,_ he had stated firmly. _There's still a chance that Michael will complete his research and if that happens we're all screwed. _

_What is your point?_ Woolsey had asked. 

John stared him down. _My point is that whatever intel Elizabeth has gathered over the last year could be valuable. More than that it could save our lives in the long wrong-_

_Regardless of the risks-_

_Regardless of the risks…_ John had assured with a nod. 

Woolsey had shaken his head in disbelief. _You're letting your emotions get in the way of your better judgement. She's a replicator, for all we know she's been sent here to lull us into a false sense of security and-_

_And I have spent a hell of a lot more time with Elizabeth then you have Woolsey_. John had stated angrily. _So don't you blame me for letting my emotions get involved- they always get involved no matter what I do. The difference is that I don't let them get in the way of my better judgement- especially when every fibre of my being is telling me that that woman we have in the briefing room is our Elizabeth. We are going to talk to her,_ he had continued _and we are going to listen and not judge…_

And yet in the end, Woolsey agreed to let Elizabeth tell her story. And what a story it was….


	2. Elizabeth's Story 2

A/N- This is turning out to be longer then I thought. Please leave a review!

Elizabeth's Story 2

"Where to start…" Elizabeth had stated nervously as she sat across from the friends that she had not seen in a very long time. Elizabeth looked at Teyla who was looking tired after her pregnancy and inwardly Elizabeth was thrilled that Michael hadn't gotten his grimy hands on her. Ronan sat beside Teyla his arm leaning towards her protectively. Woolsey sat in the centre looking stoic and disbelieving with John on his immediate left and Rodney beside him. 

"How about you start from when I left you-" suggested John causing Elizabeth's eyes to meet him in a thankful smile. 

"Of course," she agreed with a smile. "One I was sure that you guys had made it safely away I gave in. I was taken to some sort of lab and my mind was probed for whatever information they could find- but while they were searching my minds I was searching there's- specifically I was looking for those replicators who believed in ascension."

"And what did you find?" asked Teyla curiously. 

Elizabeth smiled. "I found hundreds of them."

—sparky—

Elizabeth closed her eyes against the pain and despite the fact that she was now half replicator she still felt as though her head was going to explode. Suddenly the pain eased and she heard voices. "Who is she?" asked a male voice. 

"I do not know," answered a soothing female voice. "But she seems like one of us.

"I'm not- not one of you," answered Elizabeth weakly as she opened her eyes to see the faces of a dozen replicators staring at her. "I-I'm not…" she insisted. 

"Koracen," the woman began. "She feels like one of us."

The man, Koracen nodded. "Yes Lia," he agreed. "It does look like it."

The two of them helped Elizabeth into a sitting position and just looked at her as though she had all the answers. "What do you want?" asked Elizabeth wearily. "Why are you here?"

"We heard your call," whispered Lia the woman. "You searched for those Asurans who believe that ascension is possible for us…" she paused and brought Elizabeth's attention to the rest of the group. "…the dozen of us represent the sixty in this city alone. There are hundreds more spread out all over the planet."

Elizabeth's eyes went wide. "Hundreds of you?"

The man, Koracen nodded. "Hundreds within millions but we are here."

"What of you?" asked Lia. "How is it that you came to be here if you maintain that you are not one of us...?"

—sparky—

"So I told them everything," Elizabeth continued with a smile. "I figured I had nothing to lose at this point. Most of them knew of us from our last couple of encounters but they were shocked to hear of my side of the story."

"What happened next?" asked Ronan expectantly. "How'd you escape them?"

Elizabeth smiled. "They asked for my help…"

"…and you agreed?" asked Rodney?"

Elizabeth nodded. "It's not like I had a choice Rodney…"

—sparky—

"Will you help us?" Koracen asked as they helped Elizabeth to her feet. 

"With what?" she asked trying to regain her composure. 

"We have been trying to research ascension," answered Lia. 

"But we have hit a dead end," continued Koracen. 

"I assume that you know much about ascension?" asked Lia. 

Elizabeth nodded and Koracen smiled. "Excellent. If you help us achieve ascension we will protect you and shield you…" 

—sparky—

"Things went rather quickly from there," continued Elizabeth. "They created a repliform of me with some of my memories and left it in the main city to be questioned by Oberoth. Once we had rounded up all the Asurans who believed as we did then we took a ship and escape, blowing up the fake Elizabeth as we left."

"And you were okay with that?" asked John, shocked that Elizabeth would resort to such measures. "I mean you were essentially killing yourself."

Elizabeth nodded. It hadn't been an easy decision, but it was a decision that had to be made and even now she wondered about it. 

—sparky—

"I don't like this…" Elizabeth told Koracen as the replicator ship took off. "…destroying even a part of me…"

"It is best if Oberoth thinks that you are dead," assured Koracen. "If you are dead then he will stop looking for you." 

—sparky—

"I understood the wisdom in his suggestion," Elizabeth stated as she glanced away from John. "I didn't like it but I understood," she sighed and then continued. "So anyway once we escaped, Oberoth thought I was dead and somehow Lia managed to convince the rest of the replicators that the three hundred of us that had escaped were all killed in the explosion."

"That's amazing," stated Rodney in wonder. "I had no idea that they could do that, although it makes sense really and-"

"Rodney-" interrupted John with an annoyed glance. "Let her talk…"

"What? Oh, right---" Rodney blushed slightly with embarrassment. "Sorry Elizabeth…"

"It's alright Rodney," Elizabeth assured. "Where was I…oh yes, the escape. Well things were alright for a couple of months. We managed to set up a base in our own Atlantis like city and well…you guys know the rest."

Rodney and John exchanged perplexed glances. "We do?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes you do. You ran across one of our first attempts at ascension…"

"You mean the alternate team…"

Elizabeth nodded again. "Yeah, them…"

—sparky—

"Koracen I don't like this…" Elizabeth stated quietly as she watched a live feed of the replicator version of Keller explain things to the organic replicator version of herself. "…I mean these are my friends, and we're purposefully giving them mis-information."

"It's the same mis-information that we gave Oberoth and he's left us alone for months," Lia pointed out smugly. "Your friends will understand in the long run-"

"If they ever find out…" Elizabeth said sadly. "…I could not see them again, ever- if they stop looking-"

"They must stop looking," insisted Koracen. "If they don't stop looking for you then Oberoth might get the idea that they have intel that he doesn't and then-"

"-and then all that we are working towards could be destroyed." Elizabeth finished with a knowing sigh. "I understand…I just don't like it."

—sparky—

"It broke my heart," continued Elizabeth as she dropped her gaze to the table before her. "We had instilled a camera like device behind the eyes of the organic replicator and I saw the looks on your faces when she told you that I was dead…" her voice wavered slightly and Elizabeth brought her hands on top of the table. "…I am so sorry."

"It's okay," assured John as he locked eyes with her. "You're here now and that's all that matters."

Elizabeth nodded. "I suppose but after the colossal mistake of our organic replicators I wondered if I would ever be able to see you guys again…" she sighed and smiled slightly. "…but I'm here and that is all that matters."

"Actually," interrupted Woolsey sternly. "What matters is what the replicators know about us now and how you got here."


	3. Elizabeth's Story 3

A/N- Look where the plot bunnies are taking me….I had no idea and I hope that you guys are enjoying this as much as I am. Please leave a review!

A/N2) This is for you Anuna!

Elizabeth's Story 3

They all knew that Woolsey was right. They did need to know how Elizabeth got into Atlantis without anyone noticing. Elizabeth knew this as well and she let her shoulders droop a little. "They aren't replicators anymore," she stated slowly. 

"And what do you mean by that?" asked Woolsey. 

Elizabeth looked up and glared at him. "I'm getting to that."

—sparky—

"Elizabeth!" Koracen stated with glee in his voice as he approached Elizabeth in her captain's chair. 

—sparky—

"Wait a minute," interrupted Rodney. "They made you their leader?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I do know the most about ascension Rodney," she answered stiffly. "It makes the most sense that they would elect me to lead them to that goal doesn't it?" 

Rodney nodded and Elizabeth took a breath in. "Now…" she murmured softly. "Where was I…?"

—sparky—

"Elizabeth!" Koracen stated again, catching Elizabeth's attention the second time around. "I've got it!"

Her eyes lit up. "Really? You can ascend?"

Koracen nodded. "I think so, come with me."

—sparky—

"He led me to his lab," Elizabeth continued. "And he explained how the consciousness of a replicator could exist indefinitely as fields of energy and as such the minds could be uploaded into subspace and exist as energy and energy alone."

"So that's what they did?" asked Rodney. 

Elizabeth nodded. "Most of us were thrilled."

—sparky—

"Elizabeth," began Lia as she entered the room where Koracen and Elizabeth were standing with a willing volunteer. "I don't think that this is a good idea."

"This is what we've been working towards," Elizabeth stated. "This is what we've wanted all this time."

Lia nodded. "I know and I understand but-"

"Have a little faith," Koracen stated with a knowing smile that he shared with Elizabeth. "-all it takes is a little faith."

—sparky—

"Faith?" asked Woolsey sceptically. "Beg your pardon but how in the world could a replicator have faith?"

Elizabeth glared at him. "You'll find that there are a lot of things about the Asurans that you don't know Woolsey. They have the capacity to have faith, generosity, compassion, humor, honour and even love-" she paused and noticed a flash of jealously in John's eyes which she knew she would have to address sooner or later. "-we were a family," she continued. "We relied on each other while working towards this singular goal of ascension and we achieved it."

"On faith alone?" asked Woolsey sceptically again. 

Elizabeth shook her head. "Of course not. We researched, we experimented, we planned and in the end we had the faith to succeed."

"But that doesn't answer my question," continued Woolsey. "What would a replicator know about faith?" 

Elizabeth glanced at John and knew that he knew what she was referring too. 

—sparky—

"He never gave up?" asked Koracen as Elizabeth just finished the story of how John had been captured by Kolya and fed to Todd the Wraith. "Even under such pain?"

Elizabeth nodded. "That's right. He knew from experience that no matter what we'd do all we could to get him back-"

"The sanctuary incident," Koracen interrupted with a knowing nod. "He had given up then." 

Elizabeth nodded again. "And when we came for him he felt so guilty…"

"_I really thought that you had left me behind."_

_Elizabeth was shocked. "How could you think that? After everything that we have been though- after everything that has happened to us- how could you give up?"_

_"It's been six months Elizabeth," John stated quietly. "Six months is a long time…."_

_Elizabeth shook her head. "Even I was in your shoes," she countered. "And it took six months or six years I would __never__ give up on you John. Never."_

"And you believe that that conversation was what changed his perspective?" 

Elizabeth glanced at Koracen and smiled. There was much about him that reminded her of John down to his black hair and intense eyes. But there was a naivety with Koracen that John didn't have and never had. 

"Elizabeth?" 

"Yes Koracen," Elizabeth stated with a smile. "That changed his perspective about us and about his team…which is why when John was taken, even though he told us not to come and get him, a part of him- or rather- all of him knew that I would do everything to get him back."

—sparky—

Elizabeth paused in her storytelling and blushed slightly. The last couple of months had changed her perspective on a lot of things- John being one of them. She glanced up and saw that John was shifting slightly as if he knew the rest of the conversation which Elizabeth replayed silently in her mind in a quarter of a second. 

_"You care for him a great deal," Koracen stated causing Elizabeth to glance up sharply. "I mean no offence-"_

_Elizabeth shook her head. "None taken it's just- you're right. I do care for him a great deal. We've been through a lot together, we've shed tears and blood over Atlantis which has become our home and we've come to rely on each other so much…'_

_"Yes," Koracen agreed. "But there's something more."_

_"More?" asked Elizabeth with a semi-gulp. "What do you mean more?"_

_Koracen smiled. "I may not know a lot about humanity Elizabeth, but I have read all your accounts and seen all your memories in reference to love and I can tell you that although you may not know it you are hopelessly in love with John Sheppard."_

"Elizabeth?" asked John, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You okay?"

"Mm?" asked Elizabeth as she looked up. "Oh…yeah, I'm fine. Where was I?"  
"You were telling us how Koracen was talking about faith…" 

Elizabeth glared at Woolsey and nodded sharply. "Of course, faith….Lia was not a great believer in faith."

—sparky—

"Faith-" Lia scoffed crossing her arms in front of her. "The only thing that I have faith in is fact and truth."

Elizabeth smiled slightly. "It's a start at the very least."

Lia shook her head. "No it isn't. You want to know the truth? Koracen, I don't believe that this will work."

"Don't believe," began the fourth Asuran in the room. "Just watch," 

She was a woman, tall and blonde and beautiful and she turned to Koracen with a nod. "I'm ready."

—sparky—

Elizabeth paused and looked at the expectant faces of those in front of her. "Well?" asked Rodney more excited to know the results being the one who came closest to ascension among them. "What happened? Did it work? Did she ascend?"


	4. Elizabeth's Story 4

A/N- And this story keeps on going…please leave a review! 

AN2) I know that I've updated three chapters today but I've been feeling charitable especially since Virtue and Moir won the silver medal in the Ice Dance competition at the World Figure Skating Champions in Sweden. 

So Enjoy this last and final part...

Elizabeth's Story 4

"Elizabeth?" asked John catching Elizabeth's eyes. "Did she?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes. And Heira wasn't the first. The next twenty Asurans who ascended found that they could travel the universe at will and enter anyone or anything at will. Which is what I did- after I ascended my mortal body which was still being powered by nanites was destroyed and I came back here…" she paused and looked to John. "I came home…" 

—sparky—

John wanted to lead her personally back to her old quarters which despite being packed up had remained unoccupied. They were all in a state of shock, most of the people on Atlantis thought that they would never see Elizabeth again and for John the prospect of having her before him again was almost too much to bear. Especially since Woolsey was breathing down his neck. 

_"What if she's lying?" asked Woolsey. "What if-?"_

_"We deal with what if's everyday Woolsey," John argued as Rodney, Teyla and Ronan bombarded Elizabeth with questions. "What counts is that she's here now and she's never leaving again."_

"John?" asked Elizabeth as they entered her now practically empty quarters. "You okay?" 

John peered at her and Elizabeth was caught in the emotions on his face. Wordlessly she wrapped her arms around him again, and once again he held her as tight as he could. "I can't believe it…" he whispered as he buried his head into her shoulder. "…you can't be here."

"I am here," she insisted as she pulled back enough to look into his eyes. "And I'm me…"

John didn't meet her gaze and Elizabeth took his chin in between her thumb and forefinger and forced him to look at her. "I know that you've grieved for me and I know that you thought that I was dead but can't you see that it was the only way-"

John shook his head as much as her grip would allow. "It's not that…"

Elizabeth dropped her hand and took a step back remembering with acute clarity the conversation that he had held with her organic replicator self. "It's not like it was before," she assured quietly. "I'm not a copy, I'm not even a replicator anymore…" she paused and looked up into his wondering eyes. "I'm me John," she assured. "I'm fully human again. When I retook human form….." she shook her head. "Take me to the infirmary. Keller will be able to determine that I'm human."

—sparky—

"Colonel Sheppard," Dr. Keller remarked as John led Elizabeth to the infirmary. "How can I….oh my god…"

"Hello Jennifer," Elizabeth welcomed as she embraced the smaller woman. "It's good to see you too."

Jennifer looked up at her, her face in shock. "I can't believe it…I had heard rumours floating around the city the past couple hours but—" she paused and glanced over at John. "Why didn't you bring her to me immediately?" 

John shrugged his shoulders as he put his hands into his pockets trying to be as small as possible. "Woolsey wanted to talk to her right away and frankly I wanted to know what happened to her."

"What did happen to you?" asked Jennifer as she led Elizabeth to one of the infirmary scanning beds. "I mean the last we heard Oberoth had-"

"Killed me," Elizabeth finished with a knowing and sad sigh. "I know. I wanted it to be that way…" she paused and so the confusion on Jennifer's face and went on to explain everything. How she had found a large-ish contingent of Asurans who believed in ascension and how she had helped them reach the digital equivalent of that. 

"…I ascended," Elizabeth continued looking rather pleased with herself. "My hybrid body died but my spirit remained. I knew that there was only one place for me to go…"

"…you came home…" finished John as he watched Jennifer run a scan on her.

"And in human form no less…" added Jennifer with a smile as she watched John's face. "…she's clean. She has no nanites anywhere in her system…"

—sparky—

A couple hours later with Elizabeth's story confirmed John and her were walking back to her quarters for the second time John was in a much more joyful news as though it was just sinking in. "It all seems a little insane…" he stated as they arrived at her door. "…I mean you're really you. You're really here…"

"Yes," Elizabeth agreed as she let herself in. "But I have to ask you if I had come back as a replicator would that have made a difference?"

John looked sharply at Elizabeth. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that the way you were acting…"

John shook her head. "It wouldn't have mattered Elizabeth," he assured. "I just- after last time-" he sighed and sat down on the edge of her unmade bed. "I didn't want to have to say goodbye to you again…"

Elizabeth smiled slightly. "The Pegasus Galaxy is a dangerous place John…" she pointed out as she sat down beside him. "…there are no guarantees."

John sighed as Elizabeth slowly lowered her head onto his shoulder, an act that was intimate and surprised him. "I know that there are no guarantees," he stated softly as he placed his left arm around her back to rest on the surface of the bed. "But still- you're here….it doesn't seem real…."

Elizabeth sighed. "It is real John," she assured manoeuvring her head into a more comfortable position. "I can't believe that I'm home either…"

"It's almost like the last year didn't happen," John stated causing Elizabeth to look up at him. "I mean you're back and Carson's back- sorta…"

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Carson…?" she asked. "He's-?"

John nodded. "Michael cloned him," he explained watching Elizabeth's eyes open wider if that was possible. "He thought like Carson, talked like Carson and he was or rather is Carson with the small exception that his cells were unstable-"

Elizabeth nodded in understanding. "Same as when General O'Neill was cloned."

John nodded again. "Exactly, eventually Sam who took over while you were uh- missing- she got Daniel to find how the Asgards fixed the O'Neill clone and we were able to do the same for Carson. His memories only go so far back as when we destroyed the majority of the converted wraith but still- he's our Carson."

"Where is he?" asked Elizabeth expectantly. "Why didn't I see him in the infirmary?"

"He's off world with Lorne and his men helping a human population with their symptoms from the Hoffan drug…" he paused and saw the startled look on Elizabeth's face. "…a lot has changed since I let you go."

Elizabeth sighed and brought her knees up to her chest. "…I still can't believe that you let me go."

John shifted uncomfortably and nodded. "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but I suppose you know the feeling."

Elizabeth nodded and thought back to when the city was under siege and she let John go on a suicide mission to save herself and the city at large. "I know the feeling," she replied quietly as she rested her chin on her knees. "It's a heart-wrenching, gut-twisting kinda feeling…all you want to do is stop and take the time to find another way, or worst case take their place…" she paused and leaned her head slightly so she could look at John. "…it was the same when I let you go, and reckon that it was the same for you…."

John shook his head. "Worse I bet. When you let me go it was to my certain death. I didn't know what was going to happen to you-" he paused and saw the understanding in her eyes. "-if your death had been certain…" he shook his head and continued on. "I spent months searching for you, listening for any whispers, hoping that we'd some how come across you and when you- or rather your experiment contacted us and told me that you were dead…"

Elizabeth felt tears prickling behind her eyes. She had crushed him in a way that she had known she would, and yet she'd done it anyways for the good of the mission. Because of her betrayal the evil human-hating Asurans were no more and those that had been ascension inclined were now floating in the ether that was the Pegasus Galaxy able to move at will. It was how she had been able to return to John and Atlantis again fully human- 'But still' Elizabeth thought sadly to herself. 'I've wounded him deeply…' 

"Elizabeth?" John asked causing Elizabeth to look up. "Can you forgive me?"

Elizabeth didn't need to ask what John was referring to. She knew that he was blaming himself for not continuing the search, for listening to a replicator. She knew this and she forgave him. "Do you forgive me?" 

John glanced at her and saw all the expectations in Elizabeth's eyes. He saw how she was hoping, praying even inside her head that he would forgive her for how she had mislead him, how she had caused him to grieve. And in an instance John knew that he forgave her and more. 

"I forgive you," he stated slowly watching the relief wash over Elizabeth's face. "I understand why you did it and even though it hurts I'll get over it…" he smiled and pulled Elizabeth closer with his arm. "…life's too short to not forgive," John whispered, his voice dropping several decibels. "Life's too short for a lot of things."

Elizabeth looked up at John and watched in wonderment as he closed the short distance between his mouth and hers and kissed her. It was a soft kiss, not like the passionate put on one that their bodies had done nearly three years ago when they had been taken over by two pilots of a long dead race that were still fighting their war. This kiss was all them and it was gentle and soft and explorative. 

John was the first one to pull back and he saw the absolute love and devotions in her eyes and in that moment he knew who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with- though he wasn't going to push anything on her too soon- after all she had just returned home. But Elizabeth as other ideas and as Elizabeth pulled him in for another kiss, John had knew instinctually that his future with Elizabeth- no matter how long it was- would be utterly blessed because she came back to him from beyond the grave. And that perhaps was the greatest blessing of all.

-END-


End file.
